A place to get updates on sports cards for sale and for information about the sports card industry.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Did MLB Do The Right Thing With Topps?

Major League Baseball decided that only Topps would have the contract for baseball cards this year and because of it there is a lot less product on the market. There was a lot of buzz for Bowman this year thanks for Stephen Strasburg but other than that and now 2010 Topps Triple Threads it has seemed like a lackluster year for baseball cards as there isn't a lot of product out there this season due to the decision by Major League Baseball.

I personally would like to see more product. I still miss Donruss and Fleer. How do you feel? Do you think MLB did the right thing by only having one company do baseball cards or do you think there should be more product?

3 comments:

As of right now, I feel the same way. It has created an even bigger gap between the entry level product and the premium sets. It took, Bowman, what should have been a somewhat entry level set with the and turned it into something a lot of collectors could not afford and created a tightening of the market on the retail side of things. Regular Bowman could always be found at Wal-Mart, but not this year. I have been told that Beckett Media stocks the card isle at our local Wal-Marts. I never seen blaster box 1 on any shelf, did not see any Allen and Ginter until the code had been broken, and have yet to see any T-206 Blasters at Wal-Mart. I would like to see another company in the market, but with some limitations. I wouldn't want the market flood with cards which leads to over production like 1987 to 1994. The time span may have even been longer, but I lost interest around '94 or '95 because of all the products available. If you are like me, I like to attempt to collect some of each baseball product that it put out every year.

To me, I don't see how what was done by MLB and Topps, reducing the market to Topps only is not a monopoly!!! I have heard that some court ruled that baseball is not a business, and that's how it was allowed to happen, but that is really puzzling, because if MLB is not a business, then how can they afford to pay the salaries they do and charge the admission prices they do? To me, that is BUNK!!! To allow only one card company to have the license to sell any sports card, I believe, is against free enterprise, not only for the card companies that sold them, but for the collector who finds pleasure in completing their collection, whether it is sets, individual player, team, etc., it reduces their choice and therefore their passion for collecting to a certain degree. I definitely resent the fact that I can no longer CHOOSE to purchase Upper Deck, Donruss (especially Diamond Kings and Studio), Fleer (esp. Flair Showcase). There is such a price difference in the "entry level" and the "premium", as the previous commentor said that most kids cannot afford to choose the higher priced ones, nor can consumers on limited income. There is also the drawback of Topps and Bowman being produced by the same company, as I love a variety of stances, positions, etc. by the playeer.....and the SAME photo is used in a lot of cases for both Bowman and Topps!! There is no variety in that! I, for one, would definitely like to see cards produced by other companies again....not overwhelmingly, as in the late 80s and 90s, but at least enough to provide the collector with a degree of variety. I very much enjoy your blog!! :)